There is an upcoming By-Election in our ward, Don Valley West.  Jaye Robinsons’ sad passing has left us without a City Councillor.  

It’s important to have your voice heard. HHTW had an excellent partner and mentor in Jaye, and we hope to have the same level of support and commitment from our next Councillor.

 

One of the candidates, Rachel Chernos-Lin, approached HHTW to introduce herself, walk us through her platform, and answer any questions we might have.

 

Here is what we learned:

• Rachel Chernos-Lin has been a resident of Don Valley West for the past 22 years.  Our conversation revealed that she comprehensively understands the issues in Ward 15. Her local knowledge sets her apart from other contenders not residing in the riding.

• Her ambition is to serve us well as a Councillor for the next two years and then run for re-election.  She wants to be a long-term stable force in our community. This is not a stepping stone to a more powerful job with the City.  It is known that one of the other candidates has aspirations of higher office.

• She has been our local TDSB Trustee for the last six years, with two years as Chair of the Board. This experience means she can hit the ground running as a Councillor.

• She seems to have a collaborative leadership style, and we discussed our concerns regarding green space, unchecked development, parks and our urban tree canopy.

• Notably, she encourages local voices and public consultation on contentious issues like the development process. This was one of Jaye’s strengths and something we have been sadly lacking over the last few months

The race is close, as outlined in this link

If you would like to know more about Rachel and her platform, visit this link.